How Dangerous Is The 'Bomb Cyclone' Winter Storm Actually Going To Be?
(This post was updated on Thursday at 10 AM EST to include the most recent news on Winter Storm Grayson.)
If you live on the East Coast, you've probably been bitterly complaining through shivers over the last week as cold has blasted the area. Now, meteorologists are forecasting another doozy of a week.
Yesterday, Winter Storm Grayson moved its way up the east coast from Florida, where it's already created snow in some places for the first time in 28 years according to The Weather Channel, to the North East coast where it is now. The storm has caused ice and snow, which have created dangerous driving conditions that are already being linked to two deaths.
On Thursday, meteorologists project that the storm will turn into the dramatically named "bomb cyclone," which The Washington Post says will "resemble a winter hurricane, battering easternmost New England with potentially damaging wind and snow."
What's A Bomb Cyclone?
A bomb cyclone is a pretty standard meteorological term for a rapidly strengthening, spinning storm. Winter Storm Grayson is forecasted to become one of the strongest.
As CNBC explains, a bomb cyclone is a storm that's been strengthened by rapidly dropping pressure.
[A] cyclone is a storm that rotates or spins around a low-pressure center… Cyclones are basically formed and fueled by a mix of warm moist air rising from warm ocean water and cooler air above, which forms the rising warm air into clouds. As the warm air rises, it leaves something of a vacuum, which other, colder air rushes into… A "bomb cyclone" is one such rotating storm, but one where the pressure at the center of the storm drops very rapidly.
[CNBC]
Bombing, or bombogenesis in meteorological terms, "is simply the rapid decrease or drop in surface barometric pressure of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours," meteorologist Ryan Maue explains in a blog post.
Maue notes on his Twitter that 40-50 bomb cyclones occur in the Northern Hemisphere per year. The strongest, which can include hurricanes and typhoons, see pressure drop at a rate above 36 millibars per day. Winter Storm Grayson has had a 53 millibar drop in the last 21 hours according to meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
So, obviously "bomb cyclone" sounds scary, considering the recent weather on the East Coast. But how dangerous will it really be?
Bomb Threat Assessment
The threat mainly exists for those traveling during the storm.
The storm has already caused dangerous traffic conditions across the East Coast including in the typically warm states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida where there are currently Winter Storm warnings, according to the National Weather Service.
WNCN reports that two were killed Wednesday night when their car slid off the road following an accumulation of 5.5 inches of snow and ice on the roads.
In South Carolina, two firefighters responding to a crash were struck by other emergency responders after icy conditions caused their truck to spin, according to Fox 24. The firefighters suffered broken bones and were transported to the hospital.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reported 77 traffic incidents Wednesday, with the National Weather Service saying the area is "rapidly becoming dangerous" because of snow and ice.
In Savannah, Georgia, an Amtrak train derailed after historic snowfall accumulated in the area, according to the AP. No injuries were reported.
According to PowerOutage.US, a website that collects power outage data, over 24,000 people have lost electricity in Florida and Georgia.
Virginia, New Jersey and North Carolina have declared states of emergency to free up resources to respond to fallout from the storm, according to The Weather Channel.
Winds have reached 77 MPH on the coast of North Carolina, which for comparison falls in the strength category of a tropical storm, whose winds average 39 MPH and 73 MPH.
The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warnings for almost the entire North East coast, projecting whiteout conditions with 9 to 12 inches of snow along with winds that may cause branches to fall.
Other areas along the eastern coast are under a Winter Storm Warning, with expected snow accumulation up to 18 inches, and potential downed trees and power lines.
In Massachusetts and New York, Coastal Flood Warnings were issued for coastal areas until Thursday afternoon.
Cold weather has already killed 17 people in the US, according to the AP, as temperatures have dropped to as low as -35 F in some places. According to Fortune, the storm is expected to bring temperatures 5-10 F below what was experienced last week.
So, despite bomb cyclones being fairly common, winter storm Grayson is pretty bad. Stay inside.
